S. Korea to invite bidders to buy precision missiles for F-15K fighters SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's arms procurement agency said Wednesday that it will open a bid next month to purchase radar-evading cruise missiles for its F-15K fighter jets.

South Korea's Air Force has sought for years to equip its F-15K fighters with precision cruise missiles capable of striking key nuclear facilities in North Korea in case of contingency.

South Korean marines run to take position after a landing during a military drill in Pohang, 260 Kms southeast of Seoul, on May 19, 2011. Thousands of troops including about 2,000 marines are taking part in a major exercise to test their capability to mount beach assaults and landings.

South Korean Marine amphibious assault vehicles motor towardss the shore during a landing drill in Pohang, 260 Kms southeast of Seoul, on May 19, 2011

ROKA 1st artillery brigade recently received K55A1. K55A1 is improved version of K55(licensed M109A2) which comparable to K9 SPA.

DAEGU AIR BASE, Republic of Korea, June 2, 2011 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] delivered two F-15K Slam Eagle aircraft -- designated F-15K49 and F-15K50 -- to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) at Daegu Air Base on May 30. The aircraft departed the Boeing St. Louis facility on May 25 and made stops in Palmdale, Calif., Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, before arriving in Korea."Boeing has now delivered 10 F-15Ks to the Republic of Korea under the Next Fighter II contract," said Roger Besancenez, Boeing F-15 Program vice president. "We remain laser focused on providing first time quality on every F-15K we deliver to this important customer. We are proud that the F-15K is a cost-certain, schedule-certain solution for the Republic of Korea."Boeing delivered the first six of 21 F-15Ks it is producing under the Next Fighter II contract in 2010 and two more in April. The remaining 11 aircraft will be delivered through April 2012.Six of the new F-15K Slam Eagles are scheduled to participate in an advanced aerial combat training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., in early 2012.The F-15K is an advanced variant of the combat-proven F-15E. Equipped with the latest technological upgrades, it is extremely capable, survivable and maintainable. The aircraft's service life is planned through 2040, with technology insertions and upgrades throughout its life cycle. Boeing completed delivery of 40 Next Fighter I aircraft to the ROKAF in October 2008.

SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- The Navy has deployed its second high-tech Aegis destroyer, officials said Friday, to bolster defense against North Korea amid persisting tensions after last year's two military attacks. The 7,600-ton KDX-III destroyer was put into service on Wednesday, after nine months of test operations, and assigned to the Navy's 7th fleet, Navy officials said. The new destroyer was named after one of Korea's most prominent Confucian scholars, Yulgok Yi I (1536-1584).

The Yulgok Yi I Aegis destroyer (Yonhap file photo)

"The Yulgok Yi I will carry out its mission of anti-air and anti-ship defense in waters on three sides of the Korean Peninsula," a Navy official said. South Korea has built three Aegis destroyers since 2004 under a Navy buildup project, code-named "KDX-III," to bolster defense against North Korea. The first ship was commissioned in 2008, and the third ship was launched early this year.The 166-meter-long KDX III destroyer can carry about 120 missiles and torpedoes in its vertical launch system. With 300 crew members, it can also carry two mid-sized helicopters and sail at a top speed of 30 knots within a range of 1,000 kilometers, Navy officials said. Inter-Korean tensions persist after North Korea sank the South's Cheonan warship near the Yellow Sea border in March last year, killing 46 sailors. Eight months later, the North bombarded the frontline South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, killing two marines and two civilians.

June 10, 2011 TA-50 supersonic trainer jets move toward a runway to take off on June 2 at an air base in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang. The Air Force unveiled the TA-50 trainer jets to the media for the first time. The Air Force plans to deploy some 200 new aircraft that are designed to carry out a lead-in fighter training mission by the first half of next year. Jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea's sole aircraft maker, and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin, South Korea unveiled the T-50 "Golden Eagle" in 2005, making the country the world's 12th supersonic jet producer.

An Air Force training plane crash-landed during flight training in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province, killing two pilots, officials said Tuesday.The T-103 plane crashed about 2 kilometers away from a runway at a military training facility at around 1:30 p.m. Second Lieut. Lee Min-woo and flight trainer Nam Gwan-woo died in the crash, officials said.The Air Force immediately set up a team ― headed by the vice Air Force chief ― to investigate the cause of the crash.

An Air Force T-103 training plane carrying two pilots which crashed in Cheongwon, North Chungcheong Province on Tuesday. (Yonhap News)

“The plane flew at a lower than usual altitude, and one of its wheels was caught on an electrical wire, and then it crashed,” one of the witnesses told reporters.

T-103 is a Russian-made training plane for entry-level pilots. A total of 23 T-103s were introduced here under a 2004 deal that allowed Russia to give weapons to South Korea instead of paying back economic cooperation loans.

The plane, with a maximum speed of 340 kilometers per hour, can reach an altitude of 3,000 meters. One plane costs around $156,000.

The South Korean military plans to fit out aircraft that will allow special forces to infiltrate North Korea's nuclear and missile bases at night or in bad weather. Currently South Korea depends on the U.S. military for support of such aircraft.

"We need to improve our special forces' capabilities to infiltrate North Korean military facilities in preparation for asymmetric threats from the North like nuclear or missile attacks or for a sudden change there," a military source said Monday. "So we decided to retrofit four of the Air Force's C-130 transport planes into aircraft similar to MC-130s," the U.S.' special operations aircraft.

MC-130

That involves installing equipment like multifunction radar, infrared front perimeter surveillance radar and satellite communications equipment.The Air Force has 12 C-130s and relies on the U.S. military for support with MC-130s or MH-47 or MH-60 helicopters.

South Korean and U.S. Air Forces have recently reached an agreement to stage an aerial refueling exercise on a regular basis here, using a U.S. in-flight tanker, a military source said Monday.

The first joint refueling exercise in which the U.S. is to mobilize its KC-135 tanker currently based in Okinawa, Japan, is expected to take place in the latter half of this year, the source said.

“Although our main combat aircraft ― F-15Ks and KF-16s ― have an aerial refueling capability, they have never conducted any such exercise. We have agreed to stage the exercise every six months,” he said, declining to be named.

“Through the exercise, we will help some 10 of our pilots obtain a certificate for aerial refueling. The exercise will help them maintain their qualification as the certificate holds valid for six months. ”

The military has been seeking to purchase its own in-flight tanker. But the efforts have been impeded by the government stressing efficiency in the budget execution and seeking to reduce unnecessary spending.

The U.S. military is known to have some 530 KC-135 tankers. KC-135 with a maximum range of 5,500 kilometers can carry fuel of some 110,000 liters.

Cassidian, the defence and security division of EADS, will protect the "Surion" utility helicopter of the Korean Army against missile attacks. Following a multi-million euro contract from Korean Aircraft Industries, Cassidian will deliver a first batch of 24 of its proven AN/AAR-60 MILDS® systems (MILDS = Missile Launch Detection System), until 2013. The order comprises about 100 sensors. Cassidian already supported the Korean company Lig Nex1 in the development of the helicopter's electronic warfare system and delivered 36 sensors during the development phase.

“With more than 7,000 MILDS® sensors in service worldwide, MILDS® has become the standard missile warner for helicopters and wide-body aircraft today”, explains Bernd Wenzler, CEO of Cassidian Electronics. "It has proven its value in protecting air vehicles, particularly against infrared-guided shoulder-fired missiles."

MILDS® is a passive imaging sensor, detecting the UV radiation signature of approaching missiles. The extremely high resolution combined with rapid processing enables very reliable threat identification and virtually eliminates false alarms. 4 to 5 sensors provide optimized coverage and rapid reaction. MILDS® is in service aboard a huge variety of rotary wing and wide body aircraft, including Tiger, NH90, CH-53, CH-47, MI-17 and C-130. A specific fighter version – MILDS F – is in service with the Royal Danish Airforce and Royal Norwegian Airforce F-16 fighters.

The "Surion" has been developed jointly by Korean Aerospace Industries and Eurocopter. It is planned to procure approx. 250 helicopters.

About CASSIDIAN (www.cassidian.com)

Cassidian, an EADS company, is a worldwide leader in global security solutions and systems, providing Lead Systems Integration and value-added products and services to civil and military customers around the globe: air systems (aircraft and unmanned aerial systems), land, naval and joint systems, intelligence and surveillance, cyber security, secure communications, test systems, missiles, services and support solutions. In 2010, Cassidian – with around 28,000 employees – achieved revenues of € 5.9 billion. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2010, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 45.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 121,000.

Korea will acquire a new generation of stealth fighter jets from overseas to better counter North Korean provocations, the local defense procurement agency said Wednesday.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said it has narrowed down the candidates to four fighters: the F-15SE Silent Eagle by Boeing, F-35 Lightning II by Lockheed Martin, Eurofighter Typhoon by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) and the T-50 PAK-FA by Russian firm Sukhoi.

According to DAPA, the project to acquire 60 fifth-generation stealth fighters is worth 8.29 trillion won ($7.86 billion).

Korea is expected to choose the winner in October next year.

"We've eased the criteria for operational capabilities to ensure more jets could enter the bidding," the agency said in a statement. "We will set up strategies that will allow for the transfer of core technology and that will encourage competition."

DAPA said the new generation of fighters will better prepare Korea against North Korea's "asymmetric capabilities" and will enhance the South's deterrence against surprise air attacks.

The agency said Seoul will also acquire AH-X attack helicopters from overseas. The AH-1W SuperCobra by Bell and AH-64D Block III by Boeing, both American choppers, will compete with the EC-665 Tiger by Eurocopter of France and the T-129 by Turkey.

This project, worth 1.84 trillion won, will see Korea purchase 36 attack helicopters. The winner of the bid will also be announced in October next year. (Yonhap News)

Seoul wants a blue-water navy A southern island with long-standing issues with the mainland; local residents up in arms over the construction of a new, large military base; environmentalists concerned that these plans will disrupt sensitive under sea coral formations.

Another chapter in the unending Okinawa Marine base saga?

No. In this instance the island is Jeju-do off the southern coast of South Korea. The issue is Seoul’s desire to build a major naval base in Gangjeong village on the southern part of the island to serve as a home port for South Korea’s growing fleet of large and sophisticated warships.

Much is made about China’s rapidly expanding navy and ambition to create a fleet capable of projecting power globally. Not so well known is South Korea’s decade-long project to build its own blue water navy. There is nothing particularly secret about South Korea’s naval build up, it just doesn’t get the kind of attention that China’s gets.

This ocean-going force is built around an arsenal of sophisticated guided missile destroyers, including most recently, two 7,600-ton Aegis-equipped monster destroyers with one more under construction , half a dozen 4,500-ton destroyers, submarines and amphibious assault ships.

The flagship of this new strategic fleet is an 18,000 ton, flat-topped amphibious assault ship with the pregnant name of Dokdo, after the tiny island in the Sea of Japan that is claimed by both Korea and Japan and which is a frequent source of tensions between the two countries.

The Dokdo is currently larger than anything in the Japanese navy or even the rapidly expanding Chinese navy – or at least until Beijing finally launches its much-talked about aircraft carrier. Indeed, it is the largest warship belonging to any Asian navy east of India.

Although its main armament would be helicopters and marines, it would also be capable of supporting unmanned aircraft in some future conflict. The South Koreans are planning to build several more of this type of vessel, although probably not as large.

The official purpose of this naval buildup by South Korea is, much as in China, to project power beyond its coastline plus being able to participate in international peacekeeping operations and disaster recovery and relief efforts. Several South Korean destroyers participate in the anti-piracy patrols off Somalia’s coast, along with warships from China and Japan.

A more logical explanation would be that, as in China, the expansion and modernization of the fleet is a natural and inevitable growing process of a nation’s armed forces proportional to the rapidly growing size of its economy. Rationales for the expansion are found later.

A naval base on the south side of Jeju is an obvious step in South Korea’s blue water ambitions, as it allows direct access to the open sea. But it is also located about as far away from the sensitive border with North Korea, supposedly South Korea’s true enemy, as one can be and still be in the country.

When completed in 2014, the base will accommodate about 20 of the country’s most modern surface warships and submarines. There is also proposed space to dock two large cruise ships, an apparent sop to locals as it could be argued the new port boosts tourism.

Growing numbers of Chinese are visiting Jeju and would likely formed the bulk of the passengers on the tourist vessels. Seoul probably is not unhappy that thousands of ordinary Chinese will get a good look at Korea’s growing naval might while enjoying beaches and sampling kimchi.

South Korea’s blue water naval strategy developed in the late 1990s, during a period of relatively relaxed relations with North Korea. This was the time of the Sunshine policy of President Kim Dae-jung and his successor.

But unlike China, which has few if any threats along its coastline, North Korea does pose a real menace. That was driven home last year when a North Korean submarine put a torpedo into the South Korean Corvette Choenan, sending her to the bottom along with more than 40 of her crew.

While Seoul was dreaming of grandiose deep sea ambitions, it had taken its eye off the ball and become somewhat lackadaisical about protecting its sensitive northern coastline. And if the events of last year proved anything, it is that one cannot be lackadaisical about the dangerous provocations from the North.

This sobering experience has not immediately altered Seoul’s naval procurement plans, which of course, were longstanding. But one hears less and less about blue water power projection. Last May the government withdrew “Ocean Navy Strategy” as an official rationale for the Jeju naval base (though work proceeds).

Unlike Okinawa, which is mainly a three-cornered dispute between Tokyo, Washington and the people of Okinawa, the Jeju base dispute has attracted more attention from international peace groups, Catholic organizations and other NGOs. Unlike Okinawa, which bristles with military bases there are no major installations on Jeju. Indeed, it likes to bill itself as an “island of peace.”

But like Okinawa, which still harbors resentments toward the mainland, Jeju has its own issues. For Okinawans it was the way they were used as cannon fodder during the last battle of World War II. For Jeju people it is the “4.3 Incident”.

The date refers to a rebellion, probably stoked by the communist Workers’ Party (now the rulers of North Korea but banned in the South, that broke out in April 3, 1948. The army put the rebellion down but it is estimated that 14,000 to 60,000 were killed. Since then South Korea’s military has not been particularly welcome on Jeju.

SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's first surveillance airplane to be deployed this year arrived at an Air Force base on Monday, the country's defense procurement agency said. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said an E-737, the country's first airborne early warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft from Boeing, landed at the Air Force base in Gimhae, about 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The aircraft, based on Boeing's 737-700, has been dubbed "Peace Eye" after a naming contest in 2008. "The first E-737 completed tests by our Air Force at Boeing's factory in Seattle," the DAPA said in a statement. "It will go through test flights and acceptance tests before it's handed over to our Air Force in early September." In 2006, South Korea reached a US$1.6 billion deal with Boeing to purchase four E-737s. The DAPA said the remaining three E-737s will be delivered by 2012. Australia and Turkey are the other operators. According to the agency, the E-737, equipped with an electronically scanned radar antenna, can detect and monitor up to 1,000 airborne or surface targets simultaneously. "It will be capable of checking airborne or seaborne targets on the entire Korean Peninsula, and will be able to catch aircraft flying at low altitude infiltrating mountainous areas," the DAPA added.

Russia's Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA fifth-generation fighter has been placed on a short list of a South Korean tender for the delivery of advanced fighter jets, a Russian arms industry think-tank said on Monday.Korea is seeking to buy 60 fighters with advanced stealth capability from a foreign aircraft maker in the biggest arms-procurement deal ever for the country with an estimated budget of $7.86 billion under a program code-named FX-III.Russia's Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade cited South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) as saying that Sukhoi's fighter would compete with the F-15SE Silent Eagle from Boeing, the F-35 Lightning II from Lockheed Martin and the Eurofighter Typhoon from the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS).The winner of the tender is expected to be announced in 2012, but the actual deliveries may start four years later.The Sukhoi T-50 fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi design bureau and built at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, in Russia's Far East.The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in January 2010 and has so far carried out over 40 tests. Two more prototypes are at the various stages of testing. The Russian Air Force said it had plans to acquire over 60 T-50 fighters after 2015.Although T-50 specifications remain classified, reports indicate that the design incorporates the latest fighter jet developments, including advanced stealth capability, supersonic cruising speed, and highly integrated control systems.The T-50 offered to Seoul is most likely an export version of the aircraft being developed by Sukhoi and India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) under a $6-billion joint project.Experts believe, though, that Sukhoi and EADS have little chance of winning the tender as Korea's alliance with the United States will be a decisive factor in the race.

The Navy will deploy Korean-made Hongsangeo (Red Shark) "submarine-killer" torpedoes on the Navy's top-end Aegis destroyer this month, it emerged on Sunday.

"The Navy installed a torpedo launch system on the King Sejong the Great late last month and began the final sea acceptance test on Aug. 8," a military source said. "The tests are going well, so it'll be possible to deploy the torpedoes on the destroyer sometime late this month."

The Hongsangeo is an anti-submarine missile that is launched vertically to avoid detection by enemy submarines and to increase its range. It is dropped by parachute near the intended target. After release, the torpedo falls into the water and independently searches for the target. A Hongsangeo anti-submarine missile is test-launched from a destroyer (file photo). /Courtesy of the Agency for Defense Development

The Agency for Defense Development spent W100 billion (US$1=W1,081) over the nine years until 2009 on developing the Hongsangeo. It has a longer range and much higher accuracy than light torpedoes launched by conventional vessels or aircraft.

"Deployment of the torpedo, which is launched vertically and attacks enemy submarine up to 30 km away, will drastically improve anti-submarine operations capabilities in both the East and West Seas," another military officer said.

The torpedoes, which measure 5.7 m by 0.38 m, weigh 820 kg and cost about W2 billion apiece, will also be deployed on the Aegis destroyer Yulgok Yi Yi sometime late this year.

Deployment comes at a time when China is flexing its nautical muscle near Korean waters, not least with the imminent launch of its first aircraft carrier.

Future Hope Alliance lawmaker Song Young-sun of the National Assembly Defense Committee said the torpedoes "could play a role in the containment of subs that typically escort an aircraft carrier fleet."

BEIJING — The South Korean air force rates all of the Western competitors for its F-X Phase 3 fighter program, including the F-35 Lightning, as capable of meeting the in-service date of 2016, an assessment that appears to raise the chances of the Lockheed Martin aircraft.

The air force does not express the same view on the fourth and most recent competitor for the planned 60-aircraft order, the Sukhoi PAK FA.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service and can therefore meet the schedule, the air force says in an unpublished briefing paper. And although it notes that the F-35 and the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle are not fully developed, the air force says they can be ready in time.

That judgment is less important for the F-15SE than for the F-35. The Boeing fighter would be modified for the SE version mainly by introducing fly-by-wire flight controls, adapting its conformal fuel tanks to house weapon bays and by canting the tail fins with a straightforward structural change—objectives that should be achievable well before 2016.

But for the Lightning the air force’s assessment seems to sweep aside concerns that, while the stealth fighter is especially well suited to the air-to-ground part of the F-X Phase 3 requirement, its repeatedly delayed development schedule has become uncomfortably tight for South Korea’s needs.

The U.S. Air Force does not expect its F-35As to be operational until 2018. Its definition of initial operational capability is more demanding than South Korea’s, but the U.S. schedule offers little reassurance for potential buyers that would need the aircraft earlier.

Even if the South Korean air force’s assessment is not realistic, the expression of that view at least means that the service is willing to proceed as if the F-35 complies fully with its requirements. And if the air force is bending the rules for the F-35, then it seems to be showing a preference for it.

On the other hand, the F-X Phase 3 program could be delayed, giving more time for Lockheed Martin to meet the schedule. The company has said it could deliver aircraft to South Korea in 2016—but that is not the same as establishing an operational capability.

In the briefing paper, the air force is silent on the question of whether the PAK FA would be ready in time. The failure to endorse the Russian fighter’s schedule can only raise concerns that the aircraft, a late entry into the race, is regarded as only a stalking horse for the Western fighters.

A scale-model on display at the Sikorsky Innovations booth in the exhibit hall gives away the company's new strategic move.

The model shows that Sikorsky has partnered with Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), which has been developing the Smart unmanned air vehicle (UAV) tiltrotor for about nine years.

No information about the new alliance was immediately available, but Sikorsky is likely to explain the model's presence in its own both later this week.

KARI had originally partnered with Bell several years ago to develop a more capable version of the latter's HV911 Eagle Eye. Bell dropped out of the partnership in 2005, then canceled the Eagle Eye following several mishaps in flight testing.